Forget the Microwave... Meet the Tovala Smart Oven

Brilliance | Dec. 17, 2017

Ever wish you could make a beautiful, healthy, home-cooked meal...just without actually having to make it? Meet the Tovala. It may look like a regular old microwave, but the Tovala is a 32-pound smart oven that has been described as the "Keurig of food." Just push a button and voilà! You've got black pepper and coriander crusted salmon with brussel sprouts, or braised ginger-marinated pork with rice noodles. Talk about hands-off cooking.

Home Cooking Just Got Super Easy

According to its website, "The Tovala balances traditional cooking techniques with advanced technologies to give you a unique and modern cooking experience." Unique indeed—this cloud-connected device aims to be your own robotic personal chef. It scans prepackaged meal barcodes, which inform the machine how exactly to prepare that specific meal. Those pre-made meals come in two plans: 3 single-serve meals for $36 and 3 double-serving meals for $72. But you're not limited to Tovala's prepackaged meals—the smart oven can steam, broil, and bake whatever is in your kitchen. Basically, it's all your go-to cooking appliances wrapped into one. Tovala CEO and founder David Rabie claims the machine, which will cost between $379 (but only $289 if you pre-order), is more efficient and healthier than a microwave.

Don't Call It A Microwave

The Tovala doesn't want to be a novelty oven or microwave but instead to pave its own lane as an essential item in the smart kitchen of the future (or, you know, of the now). And so far, it's succeeding. After launching its 2016 Kickstarter campaign, Tovala raised more than $255,000 from more than 1,000 backers. And while that's great, here's what we really want to know: how does the food actually taste? Well, the taste-testers at Wired claimed their two-course preview meal was "restaurant quality good." Think Beef Wellington, carrots, roasted garlic. "[I]t had the balance of juicy meat and crusty goodness down pat. The beef was cooked to medium, warm in the middle, juicy and flavorful and tasty. The pastry was flaky and sog-free, and the carrots were tender without being mushy. Nailed it," they wrote. As for their next dish? "Our second course of herb-stuffed chicken with a side of asparagus was a revelation: Juicy, delicious bird with great seasoning."